that week on the journal editorial report. rising enrollment numbers. is obama care on the road to recovery? we'll sort the truth from the spin. plus, new global education rankings once again show american students lagging. so just how worried should we be? and china flexes its military muscle as vice president joe biden visits the region. will the u.s. stand firm with japan as tensions rise? obviously, the website when it was first launched wasn't in tip top shape to say the least. but we have been 24/7 going at

it. and now for the vast majority of work users, it's working. most importantly, how people can sign up. >> welcome to the journal editorial report. i'm paul gigot. that was president obama pitching the revamped healthcare.gov to millennial, a group crucial to the success. touting this week's relaunch, pointing to reports of rising enrollment numbers and regrouping to sell the controversial law to a still skeptical public. so is obama care on the road to recovery? let's ask "wall street journal" editorial board member joe raggo. deputy member dan hetinger. and kim strasle. has obama care turned the corner here?

>> they'd love to make you think that. what that did is they picked a -- they made a deliberate political decision to fix the part of the website that consumers see. they haven't fexed the so-called back end. this is the information systems that transmit data to insurers about who's signing up for their products. it's essentially like ordering something online and never having it go to the weather house to be delivered to you. >> the interface with the consumer is improved. the sign-up numbers -- >> but still not back -- still not totally up to speed. they're pitching this 29,000 enrollment figure for the first two days of december. is that meaningful? >> they were locking for 7 million people to sign up. even if you get 29,000 every day, you're still not going to hit that number. >> put out a little notice that what they in fact need to hit that 7 million number is 100,000

people a day. so 29,000 over two days, that's 15% of the numbers they need to be hitting. >> they needed to stop the democrats from -- capitol hill in particular from running away from the law. this seems to have worked. the spin about how this is all fixed now. you don't hear a lot of democratic criticism. >> a lot of the democrats on the hill are not really themselves up to speed on the technology that's been applied to the system. so short term for a week or so, yeah, they cab get some quiet up on capitol hill. obama's biggest problem is the young people, the so-called millennials, excuse me, are not signing up. we just had this harvard poll this week which said about 57% of them disapprove of obama care. one of the reason that the cost

is very high. they didn't know the cost was going to be so high. the other reason is the website is an experience that you would expect to have had in the early 1990s. not 2013. they had something for instance called a cqueueing tool. which a little sign will say, give us your e-mail address, you can't get on, and we'll call you back. for millennials this is laughable. they just lose faith in the system. i think the process of signing people up is going to lose ground over time. >> is it that big a problem? you're a millennial. what do you think? is this something your generation looks at and says this is a bit ridiculous given where we are technologically? >> i think so. part of it is the technological problem but part of it is the product they're being required by law to buy. this is an overpriced product. it's very tightly regulated. it's not the kind of -- it

doesn't adapt to changing circumstances and saying everyone should want the same thing. that's just not true. >> what about this white house much talked about white house offensive going on to sell this? not only to get mill lappials to enroll but to get the public to think better about it. they're going around, picking anecdotes, this person gets help because they couldn't get coverage before. this person had a pre-existing condition. this person is now on medicaid. it's a very concerted deliberate strategy. what's behind this? >> they're trying to make it -- suggest that it works. they now have the website somewhat in order at the front end. the problem is is they've got like ten of these examples. that has to be compared against the millions of people who are losing their coverage. and so what you see are -- they're rolling out all the democrats to go and do this. lots of people are. rather than running, they're now forcefully coming out. you're seeing people coming out

like mary landrieu, who is up in a tough re-election this next year, and after a month of saying, well, we need to fix this, now she's out saying, i would vote for this law again. so they're going to try to make this an asset. >> what are the markers we should be looking for here in the coming weeks to come, whether or not this thing is actually gaining more momentum and is working like the white house says? >> one thing is that they've refused to say how severe the back end problems are. they said they've fixed the problems but they won't say how much -- how many problems there were to begin with. >> so it's still a black box. >> right. you can't just trust anything that comes out of the health and human services administration. so once they start revealing more information, we're seeing this week where there's a surge of enrollment. when they start to be more

transparent, that will be a sign things are better. i don't think that's going to happen. >> is the white house going to tough this out, march on, declir victory no matter what happened and just make sure that they can -- this will improve as it goes on? >> absolutely. i think that is indeed the plan to cram this down, push it through one way or another. until you get enough people on the subsidies, that will make it difficult to get them off. the problem with the strategy is a lot of people like the millennials or people losing their insurance are finding out that essentially obama care is a welfare program. and that they're going to pay higher costs, higher premiums, so that other people over here the ininsured and people with pre-existing conditions can be subsidized. that wasn't the way obama care was represented when it was sold to congress. i think that is going to create a political problem out in the country for them. >> all right, dan, thanks. when we come back, renewed hand ringing over the state of

american education as new international rankings find u.s. students once again lagging in math, science and reading. how concerned should we be? there's a debate ahead. life with crohn's disease or ulcative colitis is a daily game of "what if's". what if my abdominal pain and cramps come back? what if the plane gets delayed? what if i can't hide my symptoms? what if? but wh if the most important question is the one you're not asking? what if the underlying cause of your symptoms is damaging inflammation? for help getting the answers you need, talk to your doctor and visit crohnsandcolitisinfo.com to get your complimentary q&a book, with information fro experts on your condition. and our giant idaho potato truck is still missing. so my dog and i we're going to go find it. it's out there somewhere spreading the good word about idaho potatoes and raising money for meals on wheels.

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or go to cvs.com/compare to get your free, personalized pl comparison today. call, go online, or visit your local store today. another mediocre showing for american students. this time in the program for international student assessments, global education scores, which rank 15-year-olds from around the world in reading, math and science. this year's results show the u.s. once again in the middle of the pack. far outpaced by east asian countries like hong kong, japan and south korea. we're back with dan lettinger and kim stossel and brett stevens also joins the group. kim, how seriously should we take an international ranking like this? >> i think we should take it seriously. i mean, some people will say, look, we're in the middle, we

didn't fall very far, we've just sort of been there, things aren't getting worse. on the other hand, the world is changing. the skills you're node to survive in the world and compete in the world and also we're now in a global economy competing for skills. that we need to be making progress on the start rather than going behind. i think what also has people nervous is that this comes despite many years now of the united states being focused on this question no child left behind, other pieces of legislation. common core debate. state efforts to improve things. and we're not making progress. >> no noticeable improvement. >> rankings in education seem to have very little to do with the success of individuals in later life. much less the success of the economy. there's this false equation that countries with great educational systems are going to have innovative dynamic economies. is that true of japan? of course it's not. is that true of finland? it's not there either. their one champion corporation is nokia.

it's good half as many people as belgium. that's what makes a lot of these comparisons ridiculous. >> we should ignore them? >> yes, because they basically tell you nothing except to invest a lot of money in education and that's what we do here in the united states, putting more and more money into schools, with, really, very little to show for it. >> no, that's the opposite, in fact, because what's happened, what this shows is you put a lot of money into education, that's not working. >> we're doing great in spending money. we're right up at the top. >> so clearly something else has to be done. because that's not doing it for us. >> education is a value in and of itself. there's a lot to be said for having smarter 15-year-olds or 18-year-olds. but that debate shouldn't be had on, you know -- by saying this is what's going to predict our success or failures as a country going into the -- >> all right, you're right, it's not the only variable. there'se dynamic policy.

what are your policies. all those things. there's a competition in the world now for human capital, right? you want to get the best and the brightest. one of the problems with japan is it doesn't take immigrants. they don't attract the world's smartest individuals. like we still do. you agree with brett? >> i really don't. let me give you two examples. it's not really my example. it's their example. lichtenstein. their administrator said, look, we are fly specks in the world economy. we understand that we have to be better than most if we're going to compete. so what both of those countries have done is make a concerted effort to emphasize mathematics instruction. they take upwards of eight hours of math a week. and they have innovative

programs to teach. they understand their kids are going to have to know this stuff. they drill them. they discipline them. and they succeed. it's not rocket science. i think if our schools understood that they were in the same competitive pool, that we would try to do the same sort of innovati innovation. inwou i would say one more thing, if the teachers unions allow that innovation. >> it does at least wake up america. it says, you know what, your success in the world economy is not guaranteed. >> yes, but lichtenstein and switzerland's success in the world has to do with banking and low taxes. >> all right, let's not change the subject. let's go on to whether or not education is something we ought to care abbut as a competitive -- something to help our competitor. >> there are other things we ought to care about more. we should have an environment that encourages immigrants to come to this country.

to innovate. to succeed and to have second chances in life in case they fail the first time. that's more important to make sure they're at the same level. >> but that suggestion we just don't care about this issue, we should be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. and also want an education system that improves. the thing is, we know what you need to do to make it better. it's not spending $115,000 per head. it's having some school choice. having merit-based pay for teachers. and in general giving our kids a better environment especially in k through 12 where their instructors are inspiring them and learn these things. >> that's all true. but this isn't the key to national success. >> okay, brett, thank you. when we come back, joe briden wraps up his asian trip among rising tensions over china's

renewed military aggression towards japan. will the u.s. stand behind its ally? today her doctor has her on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor ick with innovation. stick with power. stick with technology. get the new flexcare platinum from philips sonicare and save now.

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the united states are deeply concerned for the attempt to change the status quo in the east chinese sea. this action has raised regional tensions and encreased the risks of accidents and m miscalculations. >> biden tuesday voicing concern over china's aggressive new air defense identification zone in the east chinese sea. this included more than five hours of face-to-face meetings with chinese president xi jinping who showed no sign of backing down from his exercise to gain control over japan's

senkaku islands. let's give viewers a sense of why americans should care about this dispute over some islands in the east china sea. >> i think they should care because it looks as though that area is becoming destabilized. you have china, its tension with japan, with countries in the south china sea, indonesia, the philippines. they are using their muscle to try to push their rule over those waters. these countries are going to push back. you've got a very tense situation down there. historically in the entire post war period the united states has, shall we say, had the back of countries like japan and south korea. and at this moment, they literally are explicitly doubting that. that's why vice president biden has to go out there, to reassure them. i have no recollection of a u.s. administration in the post war period having to go out on a

trip like mr. bidens and reassure our allies we were behind them. >> we also have a treaty obligation to defend japan if it is attacked. >> including these little islands. >> inclouding the little islands, right. did joe biden succeed? >> i think he raised some doubts, deep doubts, in the minds of japan's foreign ministry and leaders. >> even talking to your sources? >> yeah. there's real nervousness. basically, they're as nervous as, say, the saudis and israellies are when it companies to iran. there's a sense this is an administration that wants to put america in retreat. the administration's been talking about channels of communication with the chinese when what they should be saying is we will not recognize this air defense identification zone and we'll take steps to prevent the chinese from enforcing it.

>> they sent b-52s through that zone without inrm toiininformin chinese in advance. what is it that they are doing that is inadequate in your view of sending that message? >> they're very sort of precise, diplomatic terms of art and rhetoric that the administration ought to be using. one other thing they ought to be saying is we recognize the senkaku islands as sovereign japanese territory. we are treaty bound with japan. from 1960 to defend those islands. we will take steps, for inens s instance, having joint patrols around the senkaku islands to make it clear to the chinese how we view this matter. to tell the chinese at this early stage to back off before there is some accident or miscalculation on their part. >> dan, china is a rising power. and history shows that when you have a rising power, especially

an authoritarian power, that is beginning to push its boundaries and assert itself, there's no question in my mind that china wants to dominate the pacific and push the americans out. you really do have a situation where you can get military conflict if either -- for example, that rising power doesn't understand the limits, doesn't understand how the world will push back. you think the united states is giving that adequate signal to the chinese? >> absolutely not, paul. we just showed vice president

we simply have let them slide in that region. >> we have to take one more break. when we come back, hits and misses of the week. [ male announr ] more than a security system.

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you know i can't do this without you. you'll never have to. you're always there for me. shh! i'll get you a rental car. i could also use an umbrella. fall in love with progressive's claims service. time for hits and misses? i missed my favorite headline of the week which is obama orders the federal government to triple the use of renewable fuels. he orders them. this remained me the story of the ding who went down to the ocean and ordered the tides to recede. if he's going to triple the government's use, guess who will pay, we the taxpayers. it's going to be a lot more expensive then advertised. >> a miss to the fast food

walkouts that happened in 100 cities on thursday. arranged by big labor. the president had something to talk about other than the minimum wage. here's the cruel joke, the biggest issue facing most minimum wage fast food workers is obama care because their hours are being cut so that companies will not be crushed by this bill. so in order to change focus from that, we're also now talking about a minimum wage would make it harder for them to get a job in the first place. >> okay, joe. >> i don't know if anybody at home is watching us on a $45,000 tv, but that's now an option. just in time for christmas, samsung has put out a 45-inch ultrahigh end television controlled by voice and hand gestures. that's more than a college education, a year of college education or a car or even many american's income. if you're frugal, $5,000 off on amazon.com. >> all right, thanks, joe.

if you have your own hit or miss, send it to us. and be sure to follow us on twitter. that's it for this week's show. thanks for watching. hope to see you right here next week. fox news alert, a powerful winter storm slamming america's midsection. icy roads in texas causing serious problems. one section of i-35 shut down because a major accident and stranding drivers overnight. hundreds of thousands of people and homes, businesses left without power. the icing conditions also canceling and delaying hundreds of flights at dallas-ft. worth airport. dfw slammed, leaving more than 3,000 pass engers with absolutey nowhere to go. in arkansas, the cold weather causing ice to build up on power